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Thread: PPI For Cutting Acrylic?

  1. #1

    PPI For Cutting Acrylic?

    Hello

    Was curious to know what PPI settings you use for vector cutting 1/8" smoked acrylic?

    My current settings for a 35 Watt GCC Explorer are:

    1 % Speed
    100 % Power
    200 PPI

    Is my PPI correct? I seem to sometimes get a little roughness along the cut, would a PPI +/- fix this or should I just go slower?

    Thanks for your help, JB Lynn

  2. #2
    Join Date
    May 2004
    Location
    Vancouver, Washington
    Posts
    396
    I have an epilog, so my numbers are different. But the more PPI, the more heat, so the more the edges get smooth. Not sure if it adds to the angled kerf or not, but my manual says to run it at max PPI

    Also, seems like your speed it pretty low. But then again, my speeds run from 1 to 100% and Epilog are probably different.

    Shaddy

  3. #3
    Join Date
    Apr 2005
    Location
    Colorado Springs
    Posts
    166
    I routinely run PPI at 5000 (Max) for the best polished edges, no matter what the thickness.My speed is 12 for 1/8 and 7 for 1/4.

    Bob

  4. #4
    I haven't done any smoked acrylic but I do a fair amount of clear. I have a 35 watt Universal M-360. I cut 1/8" at 100 power, 3.2 speed, 1000 PPI. For 1/4" I use the same settings except I slow down speed to 3.0. I am real happy with the results.

    I cut with the protective paper on both sides, one side, and no sides. I also cut with the acrylic flat on the work table and also raised on standoffs. I use the same settings for all combinations of these configurations.

  5. #5
    Join Date
    Oct 2004
    Location
    Cape Town, South Africa
    Posts
    3,922
    Your ppi for the explorer and acrylic is way too low , the default (764 or somethinglike that) is ideal. Thicker stuff like 8 or 10 mm does better at 1000 ppi. wheter its smoked , solid or clear makes little difference. As I said in a previous post (the mirror one) , air assist is as vital as anything else to get a good acrylic cut. You MUST elevate the acrylic , I don't use the cutting table (cos of flashbacks) but rather elevate it on blocks of pex.

  6. #6

    Acrylic

    Hey JB,

    When working with Acrylic your PPI always needs to be set higher.
    I keep ours anywhere from 1200-1500.
    You can look at your edges and determine if it needs to be higher.
    Kevin W. Huffman II
    Pinnacle Laser

  7. I have Mercury 25 Watts and I cut 4mm acrylic at Speed 1.8 Power 100 and PPI set at 500 with Air Assist and the cuts are clean.

    Murtaza

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